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As I noted in a thread the other day, the charge of "socialism" has long been part of the GOP playbook going back to the New Deal. If history is any guide, there is little the Dems can do to avoid being labeled as such. 1/
wapo.st/2IybyKC?tid=ss…
wapo.st/2IybyKC?tid=ss…
Here's a link to that thread. 2/
In the last few days both the @nytimes and @washingtonpost have published essentially the same story, which assumes that if the Democrats moderate their positions, the Republicans will not charge them with "socialism" or an equivalent epithet.. 3/
Such a perspective ignores not only the history of anti-New Dealism, but even, as my linked thread above shows,, the very recent history of politicians and pundit employing this charge. 4/
Here's a 2012 article about the GOP's "new'" strategy of attacking President Obama as a "socialist." /5
newspapers.com/clip/28639872/
newspapers.com/clip/28639872/
And here's an editorial comparing Romney's embrace of "free enterprise" with Obama's embrace of "socialism." /6
newspapers.com/clip/28639925/
newspapers.com/clip/28639925/
It would be great if the media examined the history of this charge and they way it has been employed rather than accepting at face value that the Republicans will only make this claim if it mirrors the reality of Democratic proposals. /7
This is a perfect and completely predictable example of the dynamic I've described. Here is the RNC's Ronna McDaniel saying not to be fooled by Klobuchar's apparent moderation; she is really a "socialist" too. /8
Rather than the story being whether the Democrats will choose to moderate to avoid the "socialist" label, the narrative that I hope the media will investigate is the persistence of such charges by Republicans, against Democrats, however moderate they claim to be. 9/
Would love to see articles on the history of charges of "socialism" by Republicans. Rather than assuming these charges are precipitated by Democratic radicalism, why not seek to explain the persistence of this frame, which has been applied to Democrats of all stripes. 10/
